Grass Clipping Mulch for a Weed Free Garden

Reusing trash and recyclables is great for the environment, and frugal as well, but it can be difficult to know where to begin. In this series of articles, I will be examining the possibilities of reuse available for a number a different items, including crafts and other options.

In the summer time, yard waste, like grass clippings can certainly pile up. There's no reason at all for these organic materials to end up in a landfill, taking up space. They are the perfect addition to a garden plan, and an invaluable resource for gardeners.

I like to collect my grass clippings and pile them up high between the rows and plants in my vegetable garden. Grass clippings are wonderful for this, because they mat together really thickly, and make a good barrier against weeds. They also hold the moisture for a long time, keeping plants more evenly watered with the rain and reducing the use of household water to keep them watered.

You can rake up your grass clippings after you mow, but in order to get enough clippings for a large garden, this can be a pretty daunting way to do it. I raked for one summer, but decided that if I wanted to mulch with grass clippings on a large scale, I would have to get a bagger for my lawn mower. I ordered my bagger from Amazon.com, it was a pretty good deal, and I'm happy with it. I do have to wait for the clippings to dry for a day or two before I can mow them up with the bagger, but it's easy enough to take it off and put it on again.

Having a bagger for my lawn mower has made it possible for me to collect a very large amount of grass clippings each time I mow. I pile the grass clippings 12 to 15 inches high everywhere in my garden that plants aren't growing. It's important to make sure that the mulch isn't touching the plants themselves, as this could encourage pests eating them or even cause them to rot.

Grass clippings also make wonderful mulch around shrubs or trees, instead of expensive store-bought wood chips with chemicals and dyes in them. The grass clippings fade to a brown color, and are an attractive contrast to the surrounding green grass. Mulching with grass clippings makes it easy to have a nice looking and tidy yard on the cheap.

Of course, you want to make sure that you don't use any grass clippings that have been treated with chemicals (don't do that anyway!) or that have dog or cat waste on them. Cat and dog waste can contain harmful bacteria that you wouldn't want coming into contact with food plants.

Mulching with grass clippings also provides more nutrients to the plants and your garden soil than regular store-bought mulches will. Grass is very high in nitrogen, and it will release the minerals slowly as it breaks down into soil. Adding organic materials to soil is very important for the health of your garden as well. They will condition the soil and improve its quality, whether it is too heavy and clay-filled, or too sandy and light.

Reusing grass clippings as garden mulch is a frugal and easy way to reduce weeds in your garden drastically without chemicals and in a way that's beneficial for the environment and your soil.